Golf shoe



Au'g."29, 1967 D. J. ROSE 3,3373% GOLF SHOE Filed June 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 2 1967 D. J. ROSE 393379971 GOLF SHOE Filed June 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,337,971 GOLF SHOE Duke J. Rose, Nashville, Tenn., assignor to Genesco, Inc., a corporation of Tennessee Filed June 3, 1965, Ser. No. 460,966 4 Claims. (CI. 36-25) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Golf shoe which reduces damage to golf greens by surrounding the several spikes with a flat flange recessed in the tread surface of the sole and heel so as to be substantially flush with the circumambient tread surface; beveling the margins of the tread surfaces; and connecting the respective spikes through the sole to one of a pair of metal plates on the inside of the outsole.

This invention relates to golf shoes, and particularly to the mounting of the spikes in the sole thereof.

Golf shoes are conventionally provided with spikes in the sole and heel for improving the traction of the wearer in this perambulations about the golf course, and to steady his stance during his stroke. In its most popular and heretofore deemed most effective form, the spikes in golf shoes have included a circular outwardly-convex flange or collar surrounding the projecting or spike portion, and so secured to the outsole of the shoe that the convex collar lies outside the sole with its convexity addressed downward, so that, in the course of walking or standing, the convex surface of the collar comes into contact with the surface of the earth when the spike has penetrated it.

It has recently been reported that such conventionally spiked golf shoes did extensive damage to greens. The compacting effect of the dome-shaped collar not only forms, in the greens, dimples of a character and magnitude which distort the travel of a ball being putted, but also has hen reported to have produced more lasting injury to the greens themselves than any other factor involved.

The object of the present invention is to provide a golf shoe which does not dimple greens or inflict lasting damage to them.

Generally stated, the invention contemplates that the conventional flange or collar about the spikes of a golf shoe be not only flattened, but inlaid into the tread surface of the outsole, so that such flanges or collars are substantially flush with said tread surface; and, in addition, to bevel the edges of the tread surface at the fore part of the outsole and about the heel to further prevent marking of the greens by the sharp edges of the sole and heel which otherwise exists.

The invention further contemplates that such spikes, with their substantially flat collars inlead into the tread surface of the outsole, he held in position in the outsole by mooring them to metallic plates of substantial area located on the top (i.e., the concealed side) of the outsole, and that such plates, each mooring two or more spikes, be substantially separated at the ball line of the shoe, and preferably with a zone of separation whose contour corresponds substantially to the contour and location of the joint between the metatarsals and phalanges of a normal foot of appropriate size occupying the shoe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the follow ing description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a golf shoe constructed in accordance with the present invention as seen from the bottom;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

3,337,971 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the top side of the outsole shown in FIGURE 1, and showing in particular the foundation plates upon which the several spikes are mounted, and the spacing thereof as aforesaid; and

FIGURE 6 is a view in side elevation of the fore part of the shoe shown in FIGURE 1, and its relation to the surface of the earth on which it is used.

The shoe of the invention may be constructed according to any suitable process of shoe making, but as illustrated in the drawings, the shoe consists of an upper 1 secured through a welt 2 to an outsole 3, all made of leather or leather-like material. As is conventional, the shoe is provided with a heel 4, an insole 5, the space between the insole Sand the outsole 3 within welt 2 being filled with an appropriate bottom filler 6.

The outsole and heel are equipped with spikes 7 which in general type are conventional, but in particular differ from the conventional in that a flange or collar 3, which surrounds spike 7 and is preferably integral therewith, is substantially flat rather than convex or dome-shaped. By substantially flat, it is not intended to connote that the collar must of necessity be truly flat. On the contrary, it is suflicient that the flange he so nearly flat as to appear to be flat to an ordinary observer without close scrutiny. For example, the collar 8 is adequately flat for the purpose of the invention if it be a segment of a sphere having a radius of about ten inches. In accordance with the invention, however, the collars 8 are inlaid into the surface of the outsole, so that the exposed surface of the collars is substantially flush with the tread surface of the outsole 3. To accomplish this with a leather insole, it is necessary to form a circular cavity 9 in the tread surface of the outsole, said cavity being as deep as the flange 8 is thick, and having the same peripheral contour and size as the flange 8. The collar 8 is, as shown, of a diameter several times that of spike 7, and in the embodiment shown, the diameter of collar 8 is approximately four times the diameter of the spike 7 at the plane of the junction between the two.

In the form shown in the drawing, each spike 7 is provided with a male threaded portion 10 projecting through hole 11 in the body of the outsole 3. The hole 11, in the form shown, is of substantially larger size than male threaded portion 10, so that the hole also accommodates internally threaded sleeve portion 12 of a not having a flange 13. The flange 13 is incised to provide tabs 14 at diametrically opposite positions.

On the top side of outsole 3, there is provided a pair of metallic foundation plates 15 and 16 disposed in spaced relationship lengthwise of the shoe, so as to leave a space 17 therebetween, The space 17 is, as shown in FIGURE 5, located in the ball area at the fore part of the shoe, and the contour of space 17 substantially corresponds with the contour of the joint between the metatarsals and the phalanges of a normal foot. The space 17, being disposed adjacent the ball area, is therefore positioned to correspond substantially with the location of the joint between the metatarsals and the phal-anges of a foot of appropriate size within the shoe.

Each of foundation plates 15 and 16 is provided with a plurality of apertures 18 each located, sized and contoured to pass sleeve 12, but the apertures are elongated to provide substantially square shoulders 19 past which tabs 14 may be forced downward and anchored, as shown clearly in FIGURE 2.

The cavity 9 may be routed out, by an appropriate tool, in the tread surface of a leather insole, or, in the case of molded outsoles, may be formed by a die insert.

' It will be observed that the marginal edges of the fore part of outsole 3 are deliberately beveled as shown at 20 at the tread surface, thereby to eliminate the sharp edge which ordinarily occurs at such margins, and which have a tendency to create a mark on greens. The bevel 20 extends entirely about the fore part of the outsole tread surface and back into the shank portion, but not necessarily all the way to the heel. The heel 4 is likewise beveled, as shown at 21, along its breast, as well as its sides and back for the same purpose.

Golf shoes constructed as herein disclosed eliminate the tendency to dimple and mark golf greens, or otherwise to inflict lasting injury thereto. While the spikes 7 do penetrate the surface of the earth, the magnitude of the depressions left by them is not such as to distort the path of a rolling ball, as is the case with the dimples made by spikes as heretofore constructed. Moreover, the construction and arrangement of the mounting of the spikes is conducive to the maintenanceof a high order of comfort in the shoe. Golfers frequently complain of points of pressure sensed by their feet at the location of the spikes, and colloquially characterize the spike locations as bunions, but the mounting construction and arrangement disclosed herein substantially eliminates such discomfort, and, in addition, provides a flexibility at the ball line, unimpaired by the presence of foundation plates, so

that the normal freedom of flexing exists in the zone of the joint between the metatarsals and the phalanges of the foot occupying the shoe.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a golf shoe having an outsole and a thread surface on said outsole, a heel having a tread surface and a plurality of spikes projecting downwardly from the outsole, said spikes each having a substantially flat flange projecting radially outward from the spike for a distance greater than the radius of the spike at the plane of juncture with said spike, said outsole having in its tread surface a plurality of recesses, said recesses (a) being located in substantial alignment with,

(1)) having a depth corresponding substantially to the thickness of,

said flanges being inlaid in the respective recesses so that the outer surface of each flange is substantially flush with the adjacent tread surface of the outsole, and said outsole having the peripheral margin of its entire tread surface beveled, whereby to reduce the damage to golf greens as a result of impressions left by shoes.

2. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said heel has, projecting downwardly from the tread surface thereof, a plurality of spikes, said spikes each having a substantially flat flange projecting radially outward [from the spike for a distance greater than the radius of the spike at the plane of juncture with the spike, said heel having in its tread surface a plurality of recesses, said recesses (a) being located in substantial alignment with,

(b) having a depth corresponding substantially to the thickness of,

(0) having a periphery corresponding to that of, the respective ones of said flanges, said flanges being inlaid in the respective recesses so that the outer surface of each flange is substantially flush with the adjacent tread surface of the heel, and said heel haying the peripheral margins of its entire tread surface beveled.

3. The shoe of claim 1 having a metal plate on the I upper side of said outsole, and means extending through (c) having a periphery corresponding to that of, the

respective ones of said flanges,

said outsole for mechanically connecting a plurality of said spikes to said plate.

4. The shoe of claim 3 having a plurality of said metal plates spaced from each other lengthwise of the shoe so as to leave a separation between them adjacent the ball line of the outsole, some of said spikes being connected to one of said metal plates and others of said spikes being connected to another of said metal plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 287,748 10/1883 White 3667.4 588,158 8/1897 Marsh 3667.5 672,724 4/1901 Vogt 3667.4 7 1,973,951 9/1934 Goldenberg 36-67.5 2,118,107 5/1938 Riddell 36l06 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner 

1. IN A GOLF SHOE HAVING AN OUTSOLE AND A THREAD SURFACE ON SAID OUTSOLE, A HEEL HAVING A TREAD SURFACE AND A PLURALITY OF SPIKES PROJECTING DOWNWARLY FROM THE OUTSOLE, SAID SPIKES EACH HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT FLANGE PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE SPIKE FOR A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF THE SPIKE AT THE PLANE OF JUNCTURE WITH SAID SPIKE, SAID OUTSOLE HAVING IN ITS TREAD SURFACE A PLURALITY OF RECESSES, SAID RECESSES (A) BEING LOCATED IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH, (B) HAVING A DEPTH CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE THICKNESS OF, (C) HAVING A PERIPHERY CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF, THE RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID FLANGES, SAID FLANGES BEING INLAID IN THE RESPECTIVE RECESSES SO THAT THE OUTER SURFACE OF EACH FLANGE IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE ADJACENT TREAD SURFACE OF THE OUTSOLE, AND SAID OUTSOLE HAVING THE PERIPHERAL MARGIN OF ITS ENTIRE TREAD SURFACE BEVELED, WHEREBY TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE TO GOLF GREENS AS A RESULT OF IMPRESSIONS LEFT BY SHOES. 